Browsing by Author "Buechler, Gretchen"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Business Incubators and the City of Ramsey: Preliminary Insights
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2017) Buechler, Gretchen; Hofer, Tanner; Hoffman, Maureen; Van Oss, Eric
    This project was completed as part of the 2017-2018 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Ramsey. The City of Ramsey has a successful business retention and expansion (BRE) program that has been focused on small-business development and growth. To advance these efforts, the City would like to pursue new initiatives to attract, retain, and grow businesses, including developing a long-term vision and strategy for a business incubator. To assess the feasibility of a business incubator, students in Bob Streetar’s Community and Economic Development class researched extended case studies of four types of business incubators in Minnesota (government-owned, STEM-based, nonprofit, and coworking), as well as several alternatives to traditional business incubators that could assist new start-ups and spur economic development. A final report and presentation are available.
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    Guiding Growth Strategies for Equitable Development in South Saint Anthony Park
    (2018-05) Buechler, Gretchen; Coppersmith, Emily; Wade, Michael
    St. Anthony Park is a time-honored but transitioning district with many assets to protect, enhance, and direct toward higher livability for its most vulnerable residents. Building on revious research and the St. Anthony Park Community Council’s Equity Framework and 10-Year Plan, this report explores strategies to proactively guide development toward affordable housing, living-wage jobs, and an entire support network of equity for the community. Nine assets of St. Anthony Park were identified - New Development, People, Location, Industrial Property, Commercial Activity, Nonprofits, Institutions, Community Coalitions, and the Arts. Actionable strategies were then identified to build on these valuable elements. The strategies are organized into three categories that would be most effectively pursued by the Council.
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    Lessons from a Commercial Community Land Trust Pilot
    (2017) Buechler, Gretchen
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    Will the Faucet Turn On? Water Conservation Strategies for Ramsey, Minnesota
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2017) Alarcon, Frank; Ayers-Johnson, Joseph; Buechler, Gretchen; Dix, Alec; Goodwin, Matthew; Weiss, Tiffany
    This project was completed as part of the 2017-2018 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Ramsey. Ramsey obtains its water supply exclusively from public and private ground water wells. The city’s soil is very sandy and drains quickly, creating a significant demand for water in summer months as homeowners and businesses irrigate their lawns and gardens. To reduce water demand and encourage water conservation practices, the City wanted to explore strategies for educating residents about the effects of excessive water use. Drawing on case studies and literature on best practices, students in Dr. Dan Milz’s Planning and Participation Processes class created a toolkit for City staff with recommendations for reducing household water use, outreach strategies to encourage household water conservation, a ‘water scorecard’ to help residents understand their personal water use, examples of successful water conservation programs, and potential partners and funding sources for the City of Ramsey to use in its outreach efforts. The students’ final report, poster, and scorecard are available.